Rolling crust breaker



July 28, 1959 c. A. SPURGIN ROLLING CRUST BREAKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1956 INVENTOR.

c. A. SPURGIN RCLLING CRUST BREAKER July 2a, 1959 s Sheets-Shet 5 Filed. Aug. is, 1956" A. 851:??? away/1 ni St te Pa e 2,895,730 ROLLING CRUST BREAKER I Clarence A. Sjflirgin,"lh llia'nce, llehi'ii I A lication-Au ust :15, 1956,: Serial No. toasts i This invention relates to:agriculturemndu particularly cultivation of small plants, and in particularsa machine for breaking the crust of the ground with one itypevof nnitopcrating upon rows of plantsyand another in the soil between rows of plants and with-the device leaving a fine mulch which conserves valuable soil moisture,

The purpose of this invention isq-to, provide an implement for breaking the crust of soiltwhichpenetrates only i slightly into the soil whereby only athin film ofthesoil at the top is subjected to winds-andvaluable-moisture is retained-in the soil below. I I I After spring planting spring rains cause the ground to run together leaving a .fine silt or crust ongtop ofthe soil, and unless this seal is brokeuan d-the ground roughened the wind blows the s-iltoften -cutting;oif newly emerged plants and the water is;' retain e' d' on;-'topof the ground where it is rapidly evaporated by winds-a -Fur= ther't'nore the young plants tare oftenv-tunable to push it through the crust. Conventional-tools usedforbreaking this. crust, such as finger weeders rotary boon-spike barrows, and the like dig into the soil to a depth of from one to six inches l eaving -thisgarea exposgdtto the winds and much valuableinoistui'e is lost -Ihese im- .plements also leave the sjoil too gough vwherein in a splashing rain plantsfar'e mudded i n, and, stances it is necessaryI t re.plan t entire crops. plements alsov cause in uify 'to young plants.

With th thought infr'nind th' venfon contemplates a machine having spaced -radi positioned rods e iitefided between the ldiscs pro .198 crust breaking wheels positionedifto tiavel upon the rows of plants, and another wheel having ie ieily s'itioned bars extended between a iaiijorjdispg an o- 'sitioiied, to travel. between i jof'plaiits' with tr'e' ewoi for gsuoportingth wheels. iv The object or this invention is, theiero eno r e a ii ee ine for breaking thetiust'or soil inflfields of small pl me which leaves a ou li hui'cirisetweeii the rows ofplantgsh H I ,v

Another 'obje'ct' of the iiivei tioi istoi ho id chine'f'or nearing crust at the wear the" which the eleme ts operetev'vith jo'ressiiig'a re action whereby demege't'ojplahtsis red'utiedto' i Another importaht objei' of the ifii' fiiti u is tt} i?f6- vide e crust breaking attac menthavingioasahd slats ex ended between' discs in when t e cultivat g are re'siliently'inounted, It i y another i t ..l. Y. l 0I .,,I3 i a crust breaking device which providesaffiiie'finulch over the rowsorp1eiit whfeieoy"thoughts-are suosta i 65 'tially flush with the set a he possibility-or the plants b'eing' inudded in by 'r'ainsis re ueeato" 'A further object of the in've'ntio'ri'is to provid a iifiist breaking de'vice iii which one t'ypeoffifil'eifi'eni 15 used on the rows of plan s and some at II etween the rows, andin which mastitis i" adjusting the elevation or -theel' iiieii Suitable I I may-be found applicable.

r'i entea ul 28,1959

rby yokes andclamps from the toolbars and positioned to travel between rows of plants.

Other features and advantages of the, inventionwill appear from the following description taken in-connec= tion with the =drawings,:wherein:

Figure' 1 is a plan view of a crust breaking attachmen showing the wheels and mounting elements extended fromone side of a cultivator rack, parts of the too bars thereof being broken away. V s Figure-2 is a longitudinal section taken on line of Figure'l showing a unit for breaking crust ofwsoil between rows of plants, with the unit on the far side omitted, and with the cultivator tool bars shown in broken lines I I I Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional clamp, ofone design, for securing cultivator tools to tool bars. a

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line M of Figure 1, illustrating one of the units for breaking the crust of soil in the rows of plants, also with the cultivator toolbars shown in broken lines. 3 Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the frames used forsupporting the units. I -While one; embodiment of the: invention is illustrated in the above-referredeto drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purposeof illustration and that: various changes in construction may be resorted to in .thecourse of manufacture in order that :the: in vention may-be utilized 'to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, withoutin any manner departing-from the spirit andin'tention of the de vice, which is' to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims, And while there is statedthe, primary field of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity Wherein it In] the accompanying drawings and in the following specification, the some reference characters are used to designate the some parts and elements throughout, and iii which the numeralio refers to the invention i its erals' 12 and 14 indicating Wheels positioned I ong'rowsot plantsiandliaving radially disposed-rods 16 extended between discs 18' a'n'd'20, numeral '22 a wheei 'havin radially disposed bars "or' s1ats24 extended between discs 26 and 28 and positioned to travel between rows of plants, numerals 30 and 32 springs extendedaround apost'34- positioned oneti okef' 36 inlwhi irthe wheel 22 is mounted, and numerals'3'8 anddil'sprih'gs positioned around posts/42 and I44 ex'{ tended upwardly fr m yokes 46 a d-48, res ective1y,.ii v'vliiohfthewheeisdaand14'are'mou ted.. II The springs- 30 and 32 are positioned on o posite'sides of an arm 50 extending from the upper end of eu'u right Si-and the upper and lower 'e'ntis of thespri'n'gs are adjusiaBIy' heId-in position onthe post 34 withserotn- Iars 5d and 56. *ThebarlSO is' rovided'withspac ed openings 58 through, which'the post"3'4 *may extend thereby roviding "means for adjusting the location or the post in relation to the: tool-bars of "the" cultivaton f Th post'fsi is secured, 'sueh ashy welding, to anoi-iz bar 60 offthe yokef36 andiver'ti'c'atlly disposed a and 64 of the yoke extend bar 60. The lower ends of the arms 62 and 64 which are mounted upon an axle 66 are secured to arms 68 and 70 of a horizontal frame- 72, the axle 66' also extending through the arms 68 and ,70, The axle is secured in position with;n' uts 74 thrfeaded'on the ends thereof. ;Lf

downwardly from ends of the :The extended ends of the arms 68 and .70. are provided :2

with inwardly extended sections 76 311d;=78 from which bars Y80 and 82 extend, and the bars 80 and 82tare provided with spaced openings or bolt holes. 84 by. which the frame is adjustably connected to the lowerend '86 of an upright 88. The end 86 is also prc'n'ride d with spaced openings or bolt holes 90, and with the holes in register ing relation the parts;arefretained in position by apivot bolt 92. k

The uprights 52 and '88 extend through slots 94 and 96 .of arms 98 and 100 which extend from vertically dis 7 ters Patent is:

the discs 26 and 28, and with the discs rotatably mounted on the axle 66 the wheel is free to rotate in the yoke and frame. The wheel is resiliently urged downwardly by the spring 32, and movement thereof is restricted by the spring 30, thereby providing a fioating'movement so that the'wheel follows the surface of the soil, tions of the springs controlled by the set collars thewheel is adapted to be adjusted to operate at any suitable ele- 'v'ation. r 1

The wheels 12 and 14 are mounted similar to the With the posiwheel 22 with the posts 42 and 44 secured, such' as by welding, to horizontally 'disposed'bars 118 and 1 20 of the yokes 46 and 48, and arms 122 extended from ends of the bars are mountedv on ends of axles 124 on which. the ends of arms 126 of horizontally disposed frames 128 are also mounted. The frames 128 are similar to the frame 72, shown in Figure 5, and bars 130 at the ends thereof, are adjustably secured to ends 1320f uprights 134. The bars 130' and ends 132 are provided with spaced openings 136 and the parts are secured in adjusted positions by pivot bolts 138. The posts 42 and 44 are positioned in spaced openings 140 in arms 142 on the upper ends of uprights 144, and the arms 142 are positioned between the springs 38 and 40. The springs are retained in adjusted positions by set collars 146 and 148 whereby the wheels 12 and 14 are urged down- It is preferred to use rods and V8" x bars or straps.

From the foregoing specification it will become apparent that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner, and that its simplicity, accuracy, and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device, considering what it will accomplish, and that it will find-an important place in the art to which the invention relates when once placed on the market. i

It is thoughtthat persons skilled in the art to'which the invention appertains will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of details and parts such-'as-come within thepurvie'w of the'invenmmclaime'd'may' be resorted to in actual practice,-if desired. f l

Having now described the invention that which is claimed to be new andde'sired to be procured by Let'- 1; In a SOIICX'IISt breakenthe combination which cornprises a pair of row'e'ngaging wheels and a wheel positioned to travel between the-rows, said row engaging wheels including spaced discs with round rods extended between the discs and spaced inwardly from the'edges thereof,- and said 'wheel positioned-to travel between rows including spaced discs with slats extended between the discs and spaced inwardly from the edge thereof, vertic'ally disposed yokes in which the wheels are mounted, posts extended upwardly from the yokes, arms carried by uprights and having openings through which the posts extend, springs on the posts and positioned on opposite sides of the arms, and horizontally disposed frames positioned to support rower ends of the yokes and having uprights' extended upwardly therefrom, said uprights of the arms and frames being formed to be secured to tool bars of ia'cultivator rack by clamps-whereby the wheels having the round rods thereinar'e positioned to be centered oi1 rows*'of*plants with the wheels having the slats therein positioned between the rows of plants. d H 2. In a soil breaker, 'the combination which comprises a pair of row'feng'aging wheels and a wheel to travel between the j rows, said engaging wheels including spaced discs'with radially Idisp'osed round rods extended bctweenthe discs and spaced inwardly from the periphcries of thefldiscs, and said wheel positioned to travel be- {tween rows including-spaced discs with radially disposed slats extended between thefjdiscs-an'd spaced inwardly from the peripheries thereof,'vertically disposed yokes in which'the wheels are positioned, horizontally disposed frames extended rrem lower, ends of the yokes, axles extended through ends of 'the' frames, and lower ends of the yokes, for rotatably mounting the wheels in the device, first uprights having horizontally disposed lower ends extended upwardly fromfthe'frames, posts extended upthe three wheels may be used in combination, as shown in Figure 1. The wheels are freely rotatable on the axles, the wheels 12 and 14also being provided with sleeves which are secured between the discs, and'as the device moves along rows of plants the crust of the soil broken with a rolling downwardly pressing action whereby a thin mulch is provided and the device is fopera ted over the plants without damage to the plants.

M The rods and bars .are set .inwardly from-the peripheries of the discs about /1" so that the edges ofthe discs cut into the soil on the sides ofthe. rows and between the rows to reduce the pressure onithe rods and bars and also to leave a rough mulch between the rows. l

wardly frorn the yokes,.second uprights having armsextended therefrom positioned with the posts extended through said arms spring on the posts. and positioned above and elow said arms, and setjcollars on said posts lforfadjusting 'the 'tensionlof the springs, .said uprights being adapted to be adjustably mounted in clamps on tool barsextendcd frpma cultivator rack. Y

.3. In a soil crust breaker-,tli 'combinationwhich comprises a plurality; or horizontally disposedlyokes having uprightsext'ended upwardly therefrom, the uprights being formed to be secured by clampsto tool bars of a culti vator' rackgspacedrdi scswith radially disposed circumrei'entially spacedround rods extended therebetween rotatably mounted in two of the yokes' and positioned to straddle'rows of plantspspaced discs having radiallydis;

posed circumferentially spacmg slajts I extended thereber tween rotatably mounted in one of the yokes and posi tioned to travel between rows of plants, the distance between the discs in which the slats are positioned being greater than the distance between the discs in which the round rods are positioned, vertically disposed yokes extended upwardly from the horizontally disposed yokes and having posts extended upwardly therefrom, the posts of the yokes extending through openings in horizontally disposed arms secured to uprights mounted by clamps on tool bars of the cultivator rack, equalizing springs extended around the posts and positioned on opposite sides of the arms for returning the arms to neutral positions, and set collars secured on the posts and positioned to engage ends of the springs for adjusting the positions of the yokes, discs, rods and bars whereby the round rods work the soil around the plants and the slats scrape the weeds from the areas between the plants.-

4. In a soil crust breaker, the combination which comprises a plurality of horizontally disposed yokes having uprights extended upwardly therefrom, the uprights being formed to be secured by clamps to tool bars of a cultivator rack, spaced discs with radially disposed circumferentially spaced round rods extended therebetween rotatably mounted in at least two of the yokes and positioned tended around the posts and positioned on opposite sides of mounting means of the posts on the tool bars of the cultivator rack, and means on the posts for adjusting the tension of the springs for adjusting the positions of the yokes, discs, rods, and bars whereby the round rods work the soil around the plants andthe slats scrape weeds from areas between the plants.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 308,306 Davis et al. Nov. 18, 1884 1,291,129 Price Jan. 14, 1919 2,252,593 Bruene Aug. 12, 1941 2,569,464 Edwards et al. Oct. 2, 1951 2,727,448 Taylor Dec. 20, 1955 

